NYPD names ‘pot of gold’ theft suspect

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NEW YORK -- The NYPD is after him and his lucky charms.

The suspect caught on camera stealing a pot of gold in midtown Manhattan is Julio Nivelo, a 53-year-old believed to be in the Los Angeles area, police said Tuesday.

Video of the alleged theft, which shows a man grabbing the 86-pound bucket of gold flakes out of the back of an armored truck in September, was circulated widely in the media and online after the NYPD released it last month.

That led to multiple tips made from the tri-state area identifying Nivelo as the suspect, an NYPD spokesman said.

Nivelo is described as a 5-foot-5 inch Hispanic male with dark hair.

The loot he allegedly made off with in September is valued at $1.6 million.

In the surveillance footage released by the NYPD, a man walks up to the back of the truck, grabs the bucket, and shuffles off with it in broad daylight. At first, he's about to walk past the truck, but then he notices the unattended bucket and makes a turn to grab it. The video shows two men chatting in front of the truck as the suspect walks away with the goods.

The men don't seem to notice the gold disappearing. In the footage, the thief can be seen struggling under the weight of the haul.